CLOSE THE BARNES AND NOBLES!

[Telly Savalas]

If this immigration bullshit isn't the most obvious distraction tactic by the GOP, I don't know what is.

Undocumented workers aren't responsible for thousands of lives and billions of dollars being wasted in Iraq.

Despite what the Nativists tell you, undocumented workers aren't responsible for there being 45 million Americans without health insurance. The absence of a single-payer universal system is the issue. And don't feed me bullshit about how we're broke. The U.S. has the highest per capita GDP in the world. Dozens of poorer countries pay for universal health care. We just choose to give tax breaks to the super-rich instead.

Even the issue of jobs has more to do with anti-union laws, labor-hostile policies, and the lack of living wage laws than it does immigration, legal or illegal.

What the Republicans are doing is saying "ignore the mess the White House has created, there's a Mexican lookin'-fella over there, I bet he's illegal". Normalization of immigration laws is certainly an issue that needs to be addressed, but the vitriol being stirred up by the Republicans has nothing to do with sound policy. Instead it's their usual politics of hate based on division of natural allies, and in this case it comes with a pinch of race-baiting.

I'd say "let's keep our eyes on the ball" but DU has become so overrun with Lou Dobbs-style paleoconservatives, I'm not even sure we're all playing the same game anymore.

[RagingInMiami]

1. I'll have the honor of being the first to recommend this thread

[Hissyspit]

2. Seconded, Rage. It is a diversionary tactic.

[adriennui]

3. lou dobbs is not a paleo

sorry if he believes we should protect our borders from terrorists or illegals. when US citizens are entitled to the same educational perks as some illegals are, we can talk. meanwhile, their presence in this country skews ALL wages downward and makes it more acceptable to destroy unions (which are the only entities that guarantee decent pay).

[InsultComicDog]

4. kick

[cynatnite]

5. Totally agree...

The whole immigration argument is nothing new. The same rhetoric I've read on DU tonight is no different than other times when I've heard it over the years. I remember during Reagan's day some people were saying almost the same exact thing.

The republicans are driven by hate and fear. They spread it around like a disease in hopes of unifying the masses. They'll use phrases like draining our economy, sponging off the government, and others in order to get people emotionally worked up.

Hitler blamed the Jews for Germany's lot in life. Let's not go anywhere near there, DU.

[spindrifter]

6. It's a totally racist diversion for the Neocons.

I'm wondering how many of them would be high and dry if they had to rely solely on born-heres to do all their work--.

[LeftCoast]

7. Locking

Copycat threads are only allowed in the Lounge.